Foundry equipment



Oct. 26, 1954 G. D. JOHNSON FOUNDRY EQUIPMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed 001;. 26, 1951 INVENTOR.

EEIJRGED.JUHN5CIN Oct. 26, 1954 a. D. JOHNSON FOUNDRY EQUIPMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 26, 1951 Patented Oct. 26, 1954 2,692,692

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOUNDRY EQUIPMENT George D. Johnson, Pendleton, Ind., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application October 26, 1951, Serial No. 253,237

2 Claims.

This invention relates to foundry equipment and is particularly concerned with a cupola charging bucket and means for operating said bucket.

The basis of the invention is, therefore, to provide an improved charging bucket and means for operating said bucket wherein the usual wishbone is eliminated in the cupola and wherein the bucket is operated entirely through the hoist whereby better operational control is obtained. I h d i ed an entirely new assembly a In accomplishing these ends, a bridge is proembodied in an apparatus for carrying a charging vided connecting the cupola with a point remote bucket into and out of the cupola and for autotherefrom upon which the bucket may move latmatically gripping the charging bucket or releasly w t pe t t e up means being ing the same in accordance with its particular provided at the hoist end of the bridge for autO- position wherein the bucket is released when re mat cally disco ec the bucket from the tracted to a position above the charging floor but bridge so that the bucket may be lowered to the is held in a frame in all other positions of operacharging floor. tions.

Further improvements and advancements in Referring specifically to the drawings, a frame the art will be apparent reference being had to the 20 is shown which carries a charging bucket 22 accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred through a hoist hook 24 that, in turn, is supported embodiment of the present invention is clearly on cables 26 that run over pulley wheels 28. The shown. cables 26 are connected to a reel within the crane In the drawings: (not shown) and are operable by the crane op- Fig. 1 shows a side view of a charging bucket erator so that bucket 22 may be suitably conand support frame therefor, wherein the bucket trolled. is in released position with respect to the frame. The frame 28 is suitably supported upon rollers Fig. 2 is a side view of the bucket and frame which move along the bridge track (not shown). shown in Fig. 1, taken in the direction of the ar- The frame 20 includes a pair of pivotally mounted row marked 2. an arms 32 and 34 extending downwardly therefrom Fig. 3 is a view taken in. the direction of arrow and controlled by a pair of angularly disposed marked 3 in Fig. 2. rods 38 and 38 which are pivotally joined at 48.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with the bucket The rods 36 and 38 are pivotally attached to the in supported position with respect to the frame. arms 32 and 34 respectively. It will be apparent Fig. 5 is a View taken in the direction of the that, When the pivot point 4!] is free, t Weight of arrow marked 5 in Fig. 4. the arms 32 and 34 will cause the same to move In foundry operations, the cupola is charged inwardly so that they hang substantially vertical by means of a bucket, which carries charges of with respect to the frame 29. However, when pigiron, coke, limestone and any other materials the pivot point 40 abuts an immovable part, such which are desired to be placed in the cupola. 40 as a portion of the hoist housing 42 as the bucket These charges are periodically added to the is drawn rearwardly against the housing, the pivot cupola through the charging door at the top point 30 is moved toward the right as noted in Fig. thereof by means of the bucket which has a bot" 3, thereby causing the rods 35 and 38 to be pushed tom therein that opens to permit emptying of the outwardly to pivot the arms 32 and 34 outwardly. contents. This bucket must necessarily be 45 The bucket 22 includes an annular rim 44 recharged on the charging floor which is remote therearound having a pair of opposed ears 46 atfrom the cupola and then being hoisted to a potached thereto. The arms 32 and 34 are, in efsition parallel to the charging door of the cupola fect, inverted U-shaped structures as shown in and finally run laterally toward the cupola until Fig. 2 and the lower legs thereof are connected the bucket is actually inside the cupola. These by cross bars 48 which are contoured as noted in operations are carried out by a crane hoist which lifts the charge bucket from the floor and then carries the bucket along a bridge that is positioned so that the bucket may enter the charging door of the cupola. Normally, the bucket is placed Fig. 3 to fit'the rounded shape of the bucket 22. Thus, when the arms 32 and 34 hang down, the bucket rim M rests upon the cross bars 48 and is held firmly thereon through the interlock of the ears 46. However, when the bucket is in re tracted position and away from the cupola so that the pivot point 40 abuts the hoist housing 52, the arms 32 and 34 are pushed outwardly to release the bucket from the ears 46. In this instance, it may be necessary for the crane operator to lift the bucket slightly through the medium of the cables 26.

It will be noted that when the arms 32 and 34 are in holding position, the bucket 22 cannot be lowered so that when the operator causes cables 26 to elongate, the hook 24 moves downwardly due to the weight of a pull-bar 50 and an attached bell bottom of the bucket. In this manner, the bottom 5| of the bucket drops downwardly as shown in Fig. 4 to permit emptying of the contents thereof. In this position, the bucket will be within the cupola. When the contents of the bucket has been emptied, the hoist is reversed and cables retract the hook 24, bar 50 and bottom 5| until the bottom 5| lifts the entire bucket 22 upwardly so that the ears 4B are out of engagement with the bar 68. The entire bucket assembly is then retracted on the bridge until pivot point hits the hoist housing 42, causing the arms 32 and 34 to pivot outwardly whereupon the hoist operator may lower the entire bucket by means of cables 29 to the charging floor.

Thus it will be noted that the charging bucket is supported entirely by the crane hoist. No wishbone is present in the cupola and the bucket is independent of the cupola at all times and always under complete control of the hoist operator. The holding device as embodied in the arms 32 and 34 and pivot rods 35 and 38 is not subjected to excessive heat, since this holding device is never in the cupola except during the period when the bucket is being emptied, thereby elongating the period of usefulness of the holding device and maintaining the same in satisfactory operating condition. Furthermore, it is 1 quite apparent that since the bucket is carried entirely by the crane, the bucket is under complete control of the operator at all times as differentiated from the old type wishbone unloader wherein the bucket often became jammed within the cupola due to the build-up of contents thereof against the walls of the cupola and inability of the operator to lift the bucket with respect to the cupola without causing the bottom thereof to close since the entire bucket was supported by the bottom. In the present instance, it is possible to move the bottom up and down while the bucket is suspended in the cupola to cause dislodgment of any jammed material in the bucket, thereby greatly facilitating the unloading operation.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A charging bucket assembly for use in the charging of cupolas and the like, wherein the bucket is movable to two extreme positions upon an elongated supporting bridge one of which positions is aligned with and proximate the charging door of a cupola and the other position is remote from said charging door wherein the bucket is vertically movable to the bridge; the combination comprising, a charging bucket having an annular rim carried thereon, a pair of opposed spaced ears associated with said rim, a bottom for said bucket relatively vertically movable thereto and capable of being lowered relative to said bucket for permitting discharge of the contents thereof, a support frame horizontally movable on said bridge for carrying said bucket, gripping means pivotally carried by said frame for engaging said ears for normally maintaining said gripping means on said rim, said gripping means including a pair of bifurcated arms pivotally mounted on said frame and movable laterally to said frame by gravity toward each other into said gripping position, and a release means for said gripping means consisting of a pair of pivotally mounted levers for overcoming gravity and for causing said pair of arms to be moved away from one another, said release means associated with the frame and operable only when the frame and bucket are in the position remote from the charging door of said cupola for releasing said gripping means whereby the bucket may be lowered vertically with respect to the frame.

2. A charging bucket assembly for use in connection with foundry cupolas and the like comprising in combination; a support frame carried by a bridge and horizontally movable thereon, a bucket bottom movably carried by said frame, a side wall for said bucketcapable of being carried by said bottom, a continuous annular outstanding flange on the exterior of the side wall of said bucket, clamping means pivotally associated with said frame for normally holding the bucket side whereby the bottom may be moved relative thereto, said clamping means including a pair of spaced substantially U-shaped elements having a central portion and extending arm portions, each of said U-shaped elements being horizontally pivotally mounted on and carried by said frame and parallel to said frame at the central portions thereof whereby respective arm portions of said U- shaped elements may be moved toward each other by the force of gravity into engagement with said bucket on opposite sides thereof, gripping'means carried by ends of extending arm portions of said U-shaped elements, said gripping means having a portion thereof conforming to the radius of curvature of the external surface of the bucket and adapted for engaging portions of said flange on the bucket whereby said bucket is maintained in position relative to said frame when said U- shaped elements pivotally move to position by gravity, and release means for disengaging the clamping means whereby the bucket and bottom may be moved as a unit relative to said frame, said means including a pair of pivotally mounted levers associated with said frame and having actuating means attached to said levers and operable for spreading said U-shaped elements for releasing said bucket when said frame is in one position only on said bridge.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 260,924 Bacci July 11, 1882 1,332,192 Anderson Mar. 2, 1920 1,731,909 Rogers Oct. 15, 1929 1,911,738 Anderson May 30, 1933 

